We’ve been waiting for this one. Anthony Curtis has eaten at the original 136-year-old Luger Brooklyn several times and rates it as one of his favorite steakhouses. Naturally, he’s been waiting breathlessly for the Las Vegas version to arrive at Caesars Palace. There was a long delay following the original announcement, but Peter Luger Las Vegas has arrived, opening its doors in late October.
Two components make Luger Brooklyn such a treat: the food, of course, but also the ambience. The Brooklyn restaurant has been operating since 1887. It’s a red-brick standalone building located at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge in an old neighborhood with a whole lot of, let’s call it, “grit.” Inside are separate dining areas upstairs and down and wooden bars and tables. It’s simple, but people are dressed up and the vibe is something special. Sorry, but there’s just no way Caesars Palace could have replicated that. Give them credit for trying, though. The former Rao’s space has wood floors and a cool center bar. It’s not Brooklyn, but it’s not really Vegas, either. It feels good.
As for the food, it’s right on the mark. Similar to New York, the menu is minimal—steaks and some famous appetizers and sides. You can also order lamb chops, fish, shellfish towers, and a few other for-Vegas additions, but you go to Luger for steaks. Big porterhouses, to be specific. They’re dry-aged, brined, and cooked in garlic butter, then served cut in Luger’s distinctive style to dole out in portions. Fantastic!
Most famous of the sides is the salad, which comprises simply beefsteak tomatoes and slices of sweet raw onion with Luger steak sauce on the side that you drizzle on top. It’s a must. Luger is also known for its German potatoes and the plate of thick-cut bacon slices. There’s a good bread basket to start things off, the service is top notch — a delicious experience. It’s also expensive.
First, a comparison with prices in NY show about a 5%-9% mark-up at Caesars. “Single steak,” as it reads on the menu, is $71.95, but most order in multiples: steak for two is $148.95, steak for three $215.95, and steak for four $285.95. The tomatoes & onions side is $17.95. The bacon (three slices) is $24.95 and German potatoes are $14.95. Our bill for three was $582, but we did it up with drinks, including a bottle of wine. Realistically, you’re looking at about $120 to $150 per person before tip, depending on the drinks. Or are you? It was just a single sampling, but our steak for three was almost twice as much as we could eat. Unless you want the take-out, basic strategy appears to be to order one down—e.g., three in a party orders steak for two for a $67 saving. Or maybe a party of two orders a single steak and you’re out easily for under a buck-fifty total.
Luger Lunch
Another cost-saving strategy is to go for lunch and its two less-expensive options: the Luger burger for $25 and a steak sandwich for $30. We went back, tried them both, and were less impressed. The burger is just that, a burger on a bun with a slice of onion. No lettuce. No tomato. Heck, not even mustard, ketchup, or salt and pepper (we had to ask). Good burger, mind you, but we wouldn’t call it $25 good. The steak sandwich, however, was a disappointment all around. The bill for both specials, one slice of bacon ($8.95) and the tomato-onion side came to $90 (with tax, before tip). Whoa. If you go for lunch, you can order all the dinner fare discussed above; we don’t recommend it for the specials.
Luger Math
Don’t try to beat ’em on a portion premium. Usually, buying more of an item lowers the per-unit cost, but that doesn’t apply here. Following is the per-person breakdown for the steak options.
- Single steak $71.95
- Steak for two $74.48 per person
- Steak for three $71.98 per person
- Steak for four $71.48 per person
You do better with a single steak than with two of the three multiple-person options, though maybe the presentation isn’t as cool.
Finally, unlike at the original Luger in Brooklyn, which is all cash, this one takes credit cards.